Discrimination of customer type

[NetworkNorm]

I've had a pretty hellish experience with O2 over the last 2 days which almost made me give up on the network I've been a loyal customer to since 1997.

My new iPhone 6s arrived last Friday although it wasn't until Monday I managed to find the time to take it out of the box and set it up. Unfortunately the phone was subject to the "Slide to Ugrade" bug in iOS 9.0 and wouldn't go beyond that. I spent 2 hours on an online chat with Apple yesterday evening who after trying every possible thing, including multiple restore attempts, conceded the phone was faulty and I should return it to the carrier for a replacement.

This is where the fun started. I rang O2 and first of all was told that the issue was known about and to follow the steps on the Apple website. When I explained I had done this the advisor seemed a bit perplexed and had to put me through to some one else.

the crux of that conversation was that I couldn't take the phone in store and get it replaced, they would instead have to arrange a doorstep swap which wouldn't be for a few days.

I then asked had I brought the phone in an O2 store, could I replace it in store to which the answer was a resounding yes. However because I had dared to purchase it online, I wasn't able to do this and instead would have to wait.

My question is, why do customers who purchase in store get treated better than those that do it online? Surely O2 should want more people to purchase online as it reduces overheads?

The advisor saw my point but refused to budge saying he couldn't do anything. I that point I did something I'm loathe to do and that was to contact the CEO office by email. I received an immediate response which said they take 5 days to respond! But gave a phone number to call as well.

after a call and a heated debate, I managed to agree that a replacement phone would be sent out by courier and thus is arriving tomorrow.

my closing point is surely a customer shouldn't have to resort to such extreme measures just to get what seems to me to be basic customer care?

[Cleoriff]

I have to say I agree with you totally. I do most of my shopping online and always have a choice of how to return....

[MI5]

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@Cleoriff wrote:

I do most of my shopping online and always have a choice of how to return....

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Out of interest, can you give examples of places that allow an online order to be returned to a store (where the order was not fulfilled by that store)?

[Cleoriff]

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@MI5 wrote:

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@Cleoriff wrote:

I do most of my shopping online and always have a choice of how to return....

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Out of interest, can you give examples of places that allow an online order to be returned to a store (where the order was not fulfilled by that store)?

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Next, George, BHS, Matalan, Clarks, Boots ..etc etc etc..

[gindygoo]

New look definitely do, I did it recently.

[MI5]

Boots allow returns to store but they then return the product to boots.com who process the exchange, so it's not instant.
George will allow returns to any store or collect+ point unless marked as an "online exclusive".
I know from my own experience that Sports Direct will not allow store returns of online items, so it's still safe to say it's not unusual, or discriminatory, but it should be clearly laid out in the T&C's.

[Cleoriff]

In fairness I bought a couple of pairs of jeans from Sports Direct 3 weeks ago. They did not allow instore return ...but everywhere else I shop does.....One mistake I made.... I ordered online and got my husband to return (to George) They were having none of it...:smileywink:  It had to be me...with my card...

[viridis]

Asda stores don't even honor online price reductions, I was gonna buy a ps4 game that asda.com had for 29.99, went in store. ..49.99 would not budge.
It's swings and roundabouts with online stores, some will allow returns to the store but equally as many won't.
The other point to this thread being Apple passing the buck when the customer went to the manufacturer for their warranty needs.
At least in this instance, the op got a fair and satisfactory outcome.

[Anonymous]

All of the mobile suppliers work exactly the same way, and calling it "discriminatory" is infantile.

[jonsie]

I'm not sure of the issue here. If you buy a phone online then you return it to the suppliers or they do a doorstep exchange. If you buy instore then that's where you return it, you cannot return it direct to O2. Separate ways of buying irrespective of what other retailers do.

You complained and got next day exchange, problem solved hopefully. No way is anyone discriminated against and that's a pretty wild and outlandish statement in my opinion.